” Tinkering is important, bringing in some fresh faces is important. But blowing it up would be a big mistake” — Jeremy Roenick

Between the NHL Network, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the Sharks own web site, there were plenty of opportunities to check out the Jeremy Roenick retirement announcement first-hand. Fittingly, the focus there was on the breadth of the man’s 20 seasons in the NHL.

But I also wanted to talk with the man about events of the past four months. His conversations with Doug Wilson, his reasons for retiring now, what needs to happen next for the Sharks, what happens next in his own life.

We talked for 10 minutes before the press conference began. Here’s a transcript of the conversation:

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How much of the last three months have been spent figuring out if you wanted your last taste of the NHL to be that final game in Anaheim?

“I actually made up my mind a long time ago. Doug and I spent a lot of time together after the season and we really dissected my career together and my life … where I’m at personally, where I’m at professionally – physically, mentally.

“We really took the whole month of May and came to the conclusion in early June that it was time. It’s been like a big weight off my chest. I told you guys before that a lot of my decision was going to be determined with Doug and his advice and stuff like that. It really made the process exciting.”

At the same time, is this 100 percent your decision?

“Absolutely 100 percent. I’m not saying that his feelings toward me as a friend didn’t have something to do with it, no question. But I talked about playing again because I felt that everybody was telling me you can’t leave, you’ve got to play again – from the fans to my teammates and my friends. I always try to please people in that aspect. I always try to make people happy. I wasn’t thinking for myself or what I wanted to do or where I thought I was.

“Doug helped me come to this conclusion. I’m done – physically, mentally, I’m done. The passion is still there, but mentally it’s very hard to keep going as you get older. It was time.”

How much of it is your body telling you it’s time and how much of it your mind?

“A lot of it is my body. Having my shoulders get injured last year, those aren’t the same. The concussions that I’ve sustained – seems like the hits are smaller for me to become more agitated. I actually went on a roller coaster in May – it was at Six Flags, here – and I wasn’t myself for a little while. That kind of made me a little bit nervous. You know. I’ve always wanted to make my own decision when to retire. I wanted it to be my decision and not somebody else’s decision – whether a team didn’t want me anymore, whether the league didn’t want me anymore.

“That’s a huge part of my decision also.”

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So the door was open to come back?

“Absolutely, absolutely.”

I’m guessing Doug Wilson asked you, just as he’s asked a lot of people, what needs to be done with this team.

“We spent a lot of time together. Obviously it’s not my job, but I can give him my opinions, what I think. And he’s gotten a lot of opinions from a lot of players. I think this team needs to learn how to rise to an occasion, it needs to learn to fight the adversities and be able to raise its level intensity-wise.

“And there’s a lot of people on this club that have to understand that there’s going to be anger and that there’s going to be yelling, and not be so – how do I want to say this? – and not take it so personally when anger is high and tempers are flaring. This is pro sports and there’s going to be times when you’re not pulling your weight and somebody else is going to call you out on it.”

If I name names, you want to nod your head up and down or side to side?

“Nope. Everybody knows in that locker room what needs to be done. The coach knows what needs to be done. I think it’s going to be a really good transition for this team knowing that its mental toughness has got to get better.”

There’s been a lot of tinkering already – third and fourth line changes. Are you counseling him to blow things up a little more than that?

“Blowing this team up would be a big mistake. This is such a great team. Tinkering is important, bringing in some fresh faces is important. But blowing it up would be a big mistake. And I think Doug realizes that.”

What’s next for you?

“I’ve got a lot of ventures. Obviously I’m going to be very involved in my web site and doing a lot of videos and staying in touch with the game and letting people know what I think of the game, what I think of certain situations and what’s going on in my life. Raising money for charity through it. I’ll be offering a lot of personalized clinics, doing some appearances. I just merged with an insurance partner and I’m going to start my own insurance business. It’ll be out of Phoenix but you’ll be able to get it through my web site.

“And I did that because it’s another way for me to give back. I said to my partner, the only way that I’ll get involved is if you can almost guarantee me that people will save money on their insurance. … We will give them better rates and help them save money at a time like the one we’re going through.”

Does Comcast have your signature on a contract yet for a regular TV gig?

“No.”

Does TSN?

“You know, all TV and radio things I’m going to let come to me and I’m going to pick out the one that’s best for me. I don’t want to be censored so much. I don’t want to be in the position where I have to watch everything I say. The thing about me is I like to speak my mind, I like to tell it like I see it. And that’s why people listen to me. I don’t pull punches. I’m going to need a place so that when I do go, I can be myself and say the things I want to say, obviously being respectful not only to the game but to the person.”

“Let’s not beat around the bush. It becomes a financial thing, too. Now I’m moving into where I’m not doing appearances. I have to be sure it’s the right job.”

What about TV dramas? Anything lined up?

“My buddy wants me to come back on ‘Leverage’ again. They’re filming up in Portland and he wants me to do that. I’ve been asked to host a new TV show on Versus that’s going to be coming out. They want me to be the narrator, the voice behind it. I have a lot of opportunity in the TV field, in the show field. I just don’t know what I’m going to do yet.

“I’m joining with an energy drink, Verve, and we’re bringing out a kid’s drink that’s going to be vitamin-enriched, fruit juice and it’ll help kids get away from the colas and live a healthier life and give money to charities because of it.

“I’ve got my apparel line, my golf course – I’m going to be busy.”

******JR also asked me for a favor. He wrote a “thank you” to the fans of San Jose and asked me to get it into the paper. I couldn’t promise that — space is at a premium, even for a reduced-staff newspaper. But I could guarantee him that the message would appear here at WTC. So here it is:

“To all my friends,

“I would like to thank everyone in the Bay Area for two of the best years of my life. When I signed with the Sharks, a lot of people were questioning Doug Wilson’s judgment. I was nervous also. Down on myself and my career, I took one last effort at saving a career I was very proud of.

“Never in my wildest imaginatiopn did I ever expect things to be as great as it became for myself and my family here in San Jose.

“I would like to thank the fans for all your support and encouragement you have given me. Everywhere I go there always seems to be a smile and a “we love you.”

“I would also like to thank Doug Wilson and the Sharks for allowing me the opportunity to play in such a wonderful city. All of you have given me back my love for the game, my passion, my respectability, my life and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“Go Sharks.”

******That’s it for now as I’ve got to get working on the story for the print edition.

******Oh, wait. No posting is complete these days without a mention of Dany Heatley. So here’s today’s: There was one report recently that said Dany Heatley was going to be in San Jose this week so the Sharks could get a first-hand look at the alleged object of their desire.

Not happening, according to someone who would know — the general manager himself. Doug Wilson says that would still fall under his definition of tampering with players even though the Senators reportedly have given Heatley’s agents permission to engage chat with teams.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

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Doug you stated at the State of the Sharks address that the core needed to be changed, how have you done that?

No he didn’t. Stop lying.

BC

Spin it anyway you want Evil, but I was at the SOTS address and personally asked this question to DW who answered that the core would be broken up.

I was at SOTS too, Eddie, and at no time did DW ever say or even imply that the core would be broken up. You’re a liar.

bruce

Leave it to the 3 Drama Queens to try to rain on JR’s parade. No dice, ladies.Tadpole and Stevo say it for all of us Shark fans. Thanks to JR for being our guy for two seasons. Anyone who tries to diminish that is sicker than ANY of us even imagined. Great job, DP. Thanks.

D W

DP: I thought you were going to delete some of the most vulgar bloggers. Oh well, I guess they are like the plague – unavoidable.

Maybe JR should talk to all of the Bay teams concerning mental toughness. Both baseball teams lack a few mentally tough hitters (A’s a little more than the Giants). The Warriors’ lack starts at the owners’ box. The Raiders are all over the place. Never mind all of them, JR. I think Singletary – another Chicago icon like JR – has the Niners covered. Then again, Doyle could use JR for the Quakes. Even All-Positive Brandi gets ignored by a Pride player or two. That makes it 7/8, JR. Go get’ em!

The Sharks in ’10 all depends on winning 4 playoff games to start the postseason. They do that, then finally win 4 more in the second, then we will finally see fruition. But until then, we’ll see more blogs like those above, some well-written by solid well-informed life-balanced hockey-loving athlete-admiring fans, some butt-ugly by clueless all-shout-no-action radical-to-rush always-distort-never-listen knuckleheads who broke through DP’s conduct barrier. There’s plenty of room for fun here.

bruce

Goood call, BC. I agree. Now wait for the tantrums in return.

bruce

Hey, BC! He told me he was “in line to ask a question” but the line was too long and they never got to him. Sort of like “I personally asked this question of DW” I guess.

Dave Silva

I just don’t see how he could feel comfortable going to camp and into the start of the season with the same top 6. These are the same guys who have failed over and over. The West is no joke and every point will count….there shouldn’t be issues going into a season and job security is an issue

Anyone have any idea what’s going on with the captiancy of the team? has there been extension talks with Nabby? Does DW plan on going to camp with this same top 6?

DW has the local media on a leash…maybe next time you have him on the phone DP you ask him a real question and not a layup….

Sharks247

I’ll wear JR’s jersey with pride any day.

Here’s a man, who created his own level of hell on earth (by being his own worst enemy) who was offered an opportunity he may not have deserved and made the best of it. He reached deep down and showed us the type of heart & soul player he really could be and that he did deserve that 2nd chance. He grew up, matured and became the consummate professional NHL player during his short two years with the Sharks. The Sharks organization and fans were fortunate to have him.

I’m touched and thrilled that JR would present his farewell letter to DP to share with us. I miss JR already.

Go Sharks.

Sharks247

Sadly, the list of posters to WTC, who’s posts I no longer read has grown considerably since the end of the season. Each time I think the level of vitriolic spewing of delusions of grandeur that these posters feel they need impose upon others couldn’t get any baser – they one-up themselves and sink even lower. For these folks, no one will ever do enough, ask enough, coach enough, play enough, say enough, write enough…EVER.

And when the Sharks win the Stanley Cup, these same people will still not be satisfied. The Sharks will not have beaten the best opponent, the coach didn’t make the right line changes, the team didn’t deserve the win because their opponent didn’t field their best players therefore the win wasn’t really earned or deserved, yada – yada – yada.

Calling out DP on his reporting is **once again** absolutely the last straw. To bite the hand that feeds you adds insult to injury. If you don’t like how DP does his job then JUST GO AWAY and read someone else’s articles. Obviously you know how to do his job better than he does so why don’t you write your own column? Maybe then that would feed your gaping chasm of self-validation.

Nope, that probably won’t be enough either.

Dave Silva

interesting part in the story on si.com from kelley

Not a lot of people, including a lot of people inside of hockey, are willing to sing Roenick’s praises. Simply put, he ticked people off. People inside the game and people outside the game often felt he was just a little too outspoken and sometimes displayed something of a “hey look at me” personality. You know the type, these days pretty much your everyday National Football League player.

There was a q & a session after the main session was over where dw answered peoples questions. I was one of the people in line, whos question was not answered during the main q & a session. If you were really their then you know what I am talking about. So know I am not lying.

Evilducks

Is this like the email you personally received from Jameson about how he was on vacation for some of the playoff games?

bruce

#62 TOUCHE!!!

Stevo

Well done EvilD.

I can understand someone wanting to try and save their reputation, but that assumes that they have one worth saving.